Special Needs After School Enrichment and Respite

This month’s update focuses on the JCC Kids Club… an interactive after school play program for school-aged children who require extra support in the area of socialization.  Exciting news… Fall… 2014… The JCC Kids Club is going strong with another amazing season!  Kids, new and old, are excited to have another year together, forming friendships, building on peer connections and having fun.  Week after week, friendships are strengthened and kids get excited to hear about what has been going on in each other’s lives from the previous week.  Whether the group meets to share in a special activity, game or snack, the group always makes sure every idea is heard.  The group is lucky to have the assistance of a skilled teacher who facilitates the social dynamic of the group.  What is so special about this program is the connections the kids are making, all while learning important tools that help them communicate and interact with each other. 

Many parents give feedback that the skills their children learn in the class transfer over to real world scenarios effortlessly.  Whether kids are communicating through gestures or body language, they are becoming more social beings who are developing different ways to communicate their message. 

"The Get Social program has really helped K develop her social skills.  In just four months, I have seen a transformation and a great improvement in her ability to handle situations that are not as structured… she has been to apply what she’s learned at the JCC in the real world and I know it is sinking in.  It has been a wonderful experience.”